Please Halp! Signal routing issue

[darthbatman]

Yo ILFers,

What i'm trying to accomplish is this:

bass -> amp -> efx loop send -> looper -> efx loop return
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. & drum machine -> efx loop return

so i was trying to use a 1/4 y-adapter with 2 female inputs to 1 male output, the male end plugging into the efx loop return.
the thing i bought from radioshack has the right specs but indicates on the package the signal is meant to flow the other direction.

the problem i'm having is that when both are plugged in, only the drum machine is outputted.
I only hear the drum machine whether I have it in L and the bass in R or vice versa

Also it seems that both female inputs and the male output are all mono..
maybe I need stereo? Or maybe I need specifcally female to male and not the reverse?

The reason I need it routed this way is so that the drum sounds are amplified but not looped, hence ideally before the efx return and after/beside the looper.
Does this make any sense? It might be a really stupid question but I'm hoping some of you more advanced gear nuts will know just what to do Thanks

[rfurtkamp]

So you're trying to put two discrete signal paths to the effects return and having trouble on the merge back into the amp?

[Grandnoise]

it'll be just the drum machine as the return on your EFX loop is mono and not stereo I'm guessing. Although if it's the same if you plug into the other input on your "y" cable then it's something else at work.

Guessing the drum machine doesn't have an input you can route your guitar through?

Why run the drum machine through your amp? why not run it through PA/a dedicated combo amp?

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

FWIW, i've had terrible luck w/ those Y-adapter cables. they never seemed to work right. maybe u need a small mixer/utility of some sort?

[bigchiefbc]

FWIW, i've had terrible luck w/ those Y-adapter cables. they never seemed to work right. maybe u need a small mixer/utility of some sort?

+1

y-cables and passive A/B/Y boxes almost always end up sucking. When I had to do basically the same thing for my band (merge my bass with a synth and run them both through my bass amp), I used a Boss LS-2 to mix the two signals together. You can get them cheap as hell on eBay and they are work just fine for mixing, plus you can control the volume of each signal and match them. That's what I would do if I were you.

[Grandnoise]

+2 on the Boss LS-2 suggestionz

[sonidero]

Do you have to use the efx loop??? Bass > Looper > Amp and Drum Machine > Return should work...

[darthbatman]

Thank ye for all these helpful responsees, i shall now respondee individually to ye

So you're trying to put two discrete signal paths to the effects return and having trouble on the merge back into the amp?

Yes, that. Precisely

it'll be just the drum machine as the return on your EFX loop is mono and not stereo I'm guessing. Although if it's the same if you plug into the other input on your "y" cable then it's something else at work.

Guessing the drum machine doesn't have an input you can route your guitar through?

Why run the drum machine through your amp? why not run it through PA/a dedicated combo amp?

This is exactly what I was thinking for the most part, I believe that it probably has to choose one to be the mono signal,
and maybe since the drum machine always wins out (it's a Volca Beats btw I got one for chrimbus), perhaps it's an impedence issue??

No input on the Volca.. And yeah I suppose ideally I'd want to get a small combo amp to stack on top of my bass cab..
Doesn't really help me right now though cause it's right after christmas and i is broke

FWIW, i've had terrible luck w/ those Y-adapter cables. they never seemed to work right. maybe u need a small mixer/utility of some sort?

+1

y-cables and passive A/B/Y boxes almost always end up sucking. When I had to do basically the same thing for my band (merge my bass with a synth and run them both through my bass amp), I used a Boss LS-2 to mix the two signals together. You can get them cheap as hell on eBay and they are work just fine for mixing, plus you can control the volume of each signal and match them. That's what I would do if I were you.

I shall probably be looking into this route soon if I'm unable to fix it by Just Maybe getting a diff y-adapter that is two female mono to male stereo
do they even make those? and, does it matter if it says female to male or male to female on the package?
in other words, do they make these so signals can flow in either direction or is it a one way street deal?

+2 on the Boss LS-2 suggestionz

Yeah fo sho I should probs just say fuck it and grab one. Plus the knobs are christmas colors so it kinda would go w/ my rig, color-scheme-wise

Do you have to use the efx loop??? Bass > Looper > Amp and Drum Machine > Return should work...

I'm gonna try this later I'll get back to you, but I am thinking that IIRC on the Thunderfunk the Return only works if it's something coming out of the send.
I don't know how it knowsthat though! I really understand very little about these kinds of things.

Thank y'all dudes for the know-how bro-halp and I am totes gonna update this thread when I figure it out. Prob gonna end up w/ an LS-2. Many thanks again

[Grandnoise]

No your return should work without something plugged into the send if it's anything like mine (and most others), maybe try the y cable into your amp/does your amp have 2 inputs or just the one?

[skullservant]

Is your effects loop stereo, or mono? If it's mono having a stereo Y cable isn't going to solve any of the problems

[Grandnoise]

^this^ also most effects loops will be mono.

[rfurtkamp]

Yea, I'd be looking at a small mixer to solve the problem. Because you're going to have them, between setting relative levels and then want to have different EQ shaping options available etc.

Depending on how much wattage and what the end result is as well, a second amp may work well for you.

This is a case of "more than just a line of stuff", we don't know what you want to do with it all.

[darthbatman]

No your return should work without something plugged into the send if it's anything like mine (and most others), maybe try the y cable into your amp/does your amp have 2 inputs or just the one?

Huh, so this is weird, turns out a signal plugged directly into the efx return will get amplified,
But at the expense of the main input signal It's one or the other. Weird...

The amp does have 2 front inputs but I'd only want input 1 to go thru efx loop where i have my looper.
The reason I don't want to just go straight into the looper is because that puts the amp's EQ after the loops and not before like i like.
Guess maybe i'm being too picky though. I did try just plugging the Beats into some stereo speakers independently and that works just fine

eventually what i'll most likely do is pick up an LS-2 or grab a small combo amp like a roland cube or something to independently amp the drums.
Thanks a lot for your help guys it was most helpful. ILFforever

[rfurtkamp]

That's how loops work. You can bypass the preamp on anything that way.

Y cable was probably a stereo split and the input was mono (thus reading only the one side of the tap it is wired to do so with).

[darthbatman]

That's how loops work. You can bypass the preamp on anything that way.

Y cable was probably a stereo split and the input was mono (thus reading only the one side of the tap it is wired to do so with).

Yeah that makes sense although I thought it was weird that the drum machine won out in either scenario..
The important thing is that I'm learneding